After many hours of probing the internet for info, I turn here to the Gurus of TC for help. This morning I bought a signed Van Hoople painting at a yard sale for $5.00. I think it's more than just interesting; I like it! But I've found VERY little about the artist. Here's the best bio I've found so far (quoted from an auction site - http://proxibid.com/asp/catalogprint.asp?aid=2853 ):

I believe mine is from the same gallery and with the same frame type as yours Silverline. I think that Van Hoople would sometimes do many similar pieces as I have seen one other painting quite similar to mine. It appears these were sort of an edition as a number is sometimes impressed into the paint. Mine has a 97 pressed into the impasto, the similar pic. i saw was 95 I believe.

Come on peeps let's see more, BTW Silverline, your piece is waaay cool!
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To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

Well, I just spent more than a few minutes searching for a number of some kind on mine with no luck. The mysteries build! Yours is way cool, too Sneakytiki! Kinda looks like the sort of scene my late Grandfather painted on occasion. Maybe that's why I like this artist.

Here are a couple others I found at other traditional auction sites (one very similar to yours). BTW, these don't seem to go for a lot of money. I guess the style isn't popular (yet) and/or the supply far outstrips demand.

Silverline, I tried to post pictures from those auction sites earlier but could only find small thumbnails. I have seen them sell for 100 dollars or so.
_________________To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

I bought my painting for 30 clams and that's probably about what it's worth. I bought it to hang in my atomic ranch, not to sell, so no worries. The idea of making a series of very similar paintings seemed cheesy to me at first but hey, printmakers do it all the time and I have no problem with those so I guess I should appreciate the novelty.

Silverline, your painting appears to be on a wood panel? or is that painted to look like wood? Either way, it looks like you have more of a one off then the super thick paste covered boards with impasto paint type that I have.

The info on the back of my painting was the same as the artists background you mentioned. Looks like a mass producing painter for the middle class, so I dunno that this will ever be considered valuable due to art world politics.

Thx for posting this topic
ST
_________________To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

I am looking to buy Van Hooples! Not because they have any dollar value so to speak, but for sentimental reasons. My grandfather gave me one he bought a long time about from Mr. Van Hoople. Recently my grandfather passed away and I would like to honor his memory by collecting more of these paintings. Please let me know if ANYONE is interested in selling. Thanks!

Here is a large painting I recently found at a local thrift store, I am unsure if it is a Van Hoople, I can't see the signature anywhere but it's an original painting and the back has a sticker and note on it. Anyone know if this is truly a Van Hoople?

Here's my Van Hoople. I recently inherited it from my grandparents. In my lifetime, it always hung over the couch in their living room, but used to hang in my grandfather's office when he was president of a bank. It used to have a little brass plaque attached to the frame with some sort of title or something. I'm not sure when it fell off. You can see the residue of the glue. I'm surprised by how different this piece seems from the others posted here. I certainly love it for sentimental reasons, but I've always loved it for aesthetic reasons too!